Toy beehive.



M. AVERILL.

TOY BEEHIVE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1900.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

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MINNIE AVERILL, or JoPLnv, MISSOURI.

TOY BEEHIVE.

Application filed July 16,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MINNIE AvEnILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Toy Beehives, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a toy comprising a casing orholder, preferably formed as an old fashioned bee-hive, in which aremounted a plurality of flexible coiled springs carrying at their freeends objects shaped to represent insects, such as bees, these being soarranged that when the case is opened the springs will project the toyinsects and by reason of their resiliency cause them to move in the airin proximity to the case from which they were released, therebysimulating the movements of bees about a hive. In combination with theparts thus referred to is mechanism arranged to produce a buzzing noisewhen the case is opened.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is an elevation of a toy embodyingmy invention, the casing thereof being closed. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section Specification of Letters Patent.

taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section takenon the line IIIIII of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a top plan view of the buzzeror noise producing devices detached.

The toy illustrated has a casing A formed of two parts, a lower one a,which is hollow, and an upper portion a arranged to serve as a cover orcap for the casing as a whole. This casing may be formed of any suitablematerial and is exteriorly shaped to represent a bee-hive of oldfashioned shape, though I do not wish to be limited in my invention tothe shape or construction of the casing. The top or cover a is hinged atZ) to the lower section and a catch C is arranged to hold the partstogether. The catch is provided with a press button or projection 0 bywhich it may be manipulated. As stated the lower portion a of the casingis hollow and is provided with a bottom D which is preferably removable.The top of the casing is likewise preferably hollow to insure thedesired degree of lightness and is provided with a septum or cross plateE. Suitably supported within the lower portion of the casing are aplurality of coiled springs F. These are formed of sufficiently smalland elastic wire to permit of the springs Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

1909. Serial No. 507,881.

being relatively quite long, and very flexible. hen the top of the caseis closed the springs are pressed into the chamber within the casing andthere held under tension ;-but as soon as the cover a is released fromthe action of the catch C the springs force it open, and being released,expand to their full extent and by reason of their flexibility andresiliency vibrate more or less violently above the open casing. Thelower ends of the springs may be attached in any suitable way so long asthey are securely held. They may be mounted directly upon the bottompiece D, but in the form of my invention herein shown I prefer that theyshould be supported upon a shell G attached to the bottom and from theupper face of which project studs 72, to which the springs are secured.

At the upper free ends of the springs are secured small figures I whichare preferably shaped to represent bees. These may be made of lightmetal colored to imitate the insects they represent. The weight of thefigures I will cause the springs to remain in vibration for aconsiderable length of time when the case or hive is opened, giving tothe toy the appearance of a beehive about which are flying the bees.

In order to heighten the effect I preferably combine with the parts thusfar described, means which produce a humming or buzzing sound when thecase is opened. The mechanism for producing the sound is preferablymounted within the compartment inclosed by the shell G. Any suitablemechanism for producing the sound may be em ployed, though I prefer touse that which I will now describe.

J represents a disk or wheel provided with a series of tappets jadapted, as the wheel is revolved, to successively engage with wings 7cof a vibrator K which is suitably mounted within the chamber inclosed bythe shell G. The shaft of the wheel J carries a gear pinion m with whichengages a gear wheel M. The latter has connection with a motor spring Nmounted in a suitable case and arranged to be put under tension by awinding key a. A latch piece 0 is arranged to engage with and hold thegear wheel M against rotation. This latch 0 may consist of a verticallymounted rod carrying at its lower end a laterally disposed contact piece0 arranged to engage with the toothed wheel M whenever the cover a ofthe case is closed and, engaging with the upper end of the rod, forcesit downward or into engagement with the Wheel. A spring Q, preferablycoiled about the rod of the latch 0, tends to force the latter upward orout of engagement with the wheel M, but readily yields when the cover isclosed. The winding key is arranged in a recess provided therefor in thebottom piece D.

The closing of the casing compresses the springs and holds them undertension within the body of the casing, and also forces the catch 0 intoengagement with the wheel M, which is held thereby. The spring N may nowbe wound up. Upon moving the catch C to release the cover the springs Fforce it open, releasing the insect figures, and also the wheel M fromthe action of the catch 0, whereupon the buzzer will-produce a soundlike that of flying insects, while the springs will cause the figures Ito vibrate and move through the air as has been described.

What I claim is L 1. A toy comprising a hollow casing having a movablecover, a series of relatively long flexible coiled springs supportedwithin the casing and arranged to be put under tension when the cover isclosed, and insect figures carried at the free ends of the springs.

2. A toy comprising a casing in the form of a bee-hive, the casing beingformed of two parts, the lower portion of which is hollow and the upperhinged to the lower part, a catch for holding the parts together withthe casing closed, a series of relatively long flexible coiled springssecured at the1r lower ends within the casing, and a series of figuresrepresenting bees secured at the outer free ends of the springs.

3. A toy comprising a hollow casing having a movable cover or cap, aplurality of relatively long flexible springs supported at their innerends within the casing, insect figures supported at the free ends of thesprings, a buzzer mounted within the casing and means for causing thebuzzer to operate whenever the cover is released to free the insectfigures.

MINNIE AVERILL. Vitnesses CAROLINE YATES, En. N. CUNNINGHAM.

